Shadows
by JediJesska
Summary: A girl flees North in a desperate attempt to escape her past, and befriends a creature in a similar position. Together they learn that you can't change the past, but you can shape the future. Based on my early adventures in Minecraft. Rating changed to T for violence/mature themes in later chapters.
1. Fatal Mistakes

It's not like I haven't done this before, but I knew even the smallest error could kill me. I quickly darted across the ice, axe in hand, careful not to alert any of the monsters in the distance. The moon was high in the sky with not a cloud in sight, giving me plenty of light reflecting off the snow all around me. I didn't want to come out this late, I knew it was foolish, but I desperately need the firewood and so I had no choice.

The sparse trees in this frozen wasteland do good to help me spot intruders from a distance, but it's nearly impossible to find firewood because of it. Coal is much better, but the cavern I'd been spelunking has been snowed in for the season; wood will have to do, at least until I could risk a trip into town. I finally reached a tree, a good quarter-mile from my stone fortress, and made quick work of it. I tied the log together tightly, continuously looking over my shoulder. Why did I ever decide to live so far from civilization? I have no direct communication with the outside world, and it's a struggle to be self-sufficient; crops have issues growing this far north. I have to tend to them every day along with my livestock, which can be back-breaking work in deep snow. Even so, there is significantly less raids out here...

I dragged the log along behind me, slowly, still wary of everything around me. I'm paranoid as hell at this time of night, I've seen what those monsters can do to people less observant. I can't risk it. I gently eased the logs onto the ice, and as i started to lug them behind me I realized this was a lot easier than dragging them through the snow. I jumped behind my cargo and opted for pushing it the rest of the way. Just as I was about to reach the frozen shore, however, I heard a horrible hissing noise from behind me. I spun around and lost my balance, falling at the feet of one of those horrible green things - a creeper, as the others call them. The hissing gets louder and the creature lunges at me, and I knew I didn't have much time to react. I quickly kicked at the thing, knocking it back a few feet onto the ice before it exploded. The blast cracks the ice and I scrambled for the shore, making it just in time to watch the logs fall into the water.

I used my axe to fish the rope from the water and haul the wood ashore, the ice already starting to freeze again. Just when I thought it was safe, however, several zombies nearby heard the blast and were lumbering in my direction. I decided that i can come back for the cargo later and dash up the hill to my house and slammed the steel door behind me. That was way too close, but at least I got something accomplished. Sort of.

I threw what little firewood I had left into the furnace and warmed myself by it, still dwelling on how I made the stupid mistake of not keeping a sharp eye out. I continued to kick myself over it as I watched the moon get lower in the sky, unable to sleep as I lay in bed. Then suddenly, I heard a crashing sound downstairs. I froze, thinking the worst. Had someone found me? Wait - of course! I left huge tracks in the snow from hauling that log straight to my house! I'm so stupid! I hastily grabbed my bow and nocked an arrow. I heard the noise again, but this time something different as well... It almost sounds like whispering. I was NOT losing any of my materials to raiders! I crept down the stairs and prepared to fight. I could see the shadow of someone, going around to the other side of the enclosed spiral staircase. I jumped from the landing and turned to open fire at the intruder, a dark figure bending over my food chests.

"Stop!" I yelled. The black figure flinched, then straightened up. My heart suddenly dropped as I saw what I thought was human, suddenly rise to nearly twice my size and turn to face me. I've heard the ghost stories of these tall beasts, the black shadow creatures that murder people who so much as look at them.

And I just looked this one directly in the eyes.


	2. Not-So Savage Beast

**A/N: Thank you guys for all the positive feedback, it's inspired me to continue this story, and I thank everyone for the kind words! :) I hope you enjoy this chapter and every chapter to come!**

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The monster took a step towards me and I stumbled backwards, falling on my back. My heart racing, I scrambled back as far as I could until I collided with the wall, having dropped my bow in the process. It continued walking towards me but stopped when it reached my weapon. After a moment, it bent down and picked it up and studied it, head cocked to the side. The creature then abruptly turned towards me and slowly came closer, and held out the bow. After a few seconds I cautiously got to my feet, still terrified, and reached out for the bow. I took it, and the creature stared at me. It was then that I noticed something; the creature had one green eye, and the other was purple. And strangely, I didn't feel very afraid anymore.

It tilted its head to the side once more and watched me. Unsure of what to do, I stare back. Why isn't this thing attacking me? Better question: shouldn't I be dead by now? I felt awkward, but terrified to make any sudden movements. I take a step towards it, and the creature suddenly disappears in a puff of purple smoke. Startled, I stare the spot where the creature was just standing, trying to process what just happened. I then heard a strange popping noise and the sound of something moving upstairs. I ran up the spiral staircase to see that somehow, this thing had teleported into my bedroom and was exploring my bookcases.

"Hey, don't play with those!" I said and dashed over to the creature. It looked at me like I had two heads, and then puts the book in its hand back on the shelf. This thing seemed pretty smart, whatever it was. I've never actually seen one of these monsters, no one really has, but from what I've heard, they're supposed to be pretty rare. And apparently, they like to play with things, because the creature had teleported again and was now rummaging around in my snack stash. I decided to let it explore, seeing as it hasn't tried to murder me yet. I watched it for a while and felt a smile spread across my face when it removed a cookie from the chest, examine it carefully, then stuff the whole thing in its mouth. It seemed to enjoy it, and went back for more. So, it has a sweet tooth…

"So, you like cookies, huh? I have some more downstairs if you want some" I called over to the creature. Its face seemed to light up and it teleported over to me, scaring the living daylights out of me.

"For the love of Notch, please don't do that again!" I stammered as I tried to recover from the shock. I then led the creature downstairs to my main food stores and pulled out a dozen or so cookies. I felt kind of foolish doing this, but it's kind of cute. I held out a cookie for my houseguest, and it hesitated at first, as if it didn't trust me.

"Go on, I won't bite you, I promise" I said gently with a smile as I held the cookie out further towards the creature. It then made a strange noise, almost like a muffled whisper, and took the cookie and stuffed its face. I laughed, and continued to feed my new little pet for a while. After going through two and a half-dozen or so cookies, I brushed the crumbs from my shirt and yawned. The moon had set a while ago and it would soon be morning; I would have to go out to the pasture and milk the cows in merely a few hours and I was exhausted. The creature looked quite content; it had chosen to sit against the wall opposite me and rest. I wasn't sure just yet if it was smart to keep my new friend in the house, but he seemed surprisingly docile. I guess he could stay for now. I finally make it upstairs to my room and throw the rest of my log on the fire, letting the room warm up a bit before I flop onto my bed, getting comfortable as sleep quickly overtakes me. I could see the sky brightening through my window, and I thought to myself that I can decide what to do with the creature downstairs first thing in the morning.

I wake up sooner than I thought; groggily I sat up and tried to get out of bed. After what feels like hours, I manage to get dressed and go downstairs. I jump when I see the tall black figure leaning against the wall, but quickly remember the other night and relax. It was still asleep; I quietly sidestepped the creature's legs and opened the storage chest. I fished out a few apples and some cookies for my new friend. Just as I shut the chest, my arms full of food, the creature stirred. It stood and looked a bit foggy for a minute, then saw me and came over to me.

"Breakfast?" I asked, and offered the cookies in my hand and an apple to my new friend. It wolfed down the cookies and held the apple close to its face, trying to decide whether or not it was food. It eventually ate that too. I ate my apple while sitting on the counter, feeling silly about my new idea of talking to this creature but feeling as though it might not hurt to try.

"So… do you have a name?" I asked, feeling my face redden at the stupidity of the question. Of course it doesn't have a name, why would it? It probably can't understand me anyway. But to my surprise, the creature shook its head. Maybe I've underestimated its intelligence.

"No? Well…Would you like me to give you a name?" The creature suddenly looked rather excited and made a strange purring sound, as if I just offered to give it everything it ever wanted for Christmas. After thinking for a second, and deciding that this creature was probably male, I decide on a name for my new friend.

"Ok, how about…Jeffrey?" I asked him. He purred again and teleported closer to me, and I could clearly see the happiness gleaming in his eyes.

"Ok, from now on, I will call you Jeffrey. My name is Jesska" I said with a smile, and the creature smiled back. I laughed at this, and his smile widened. I was highly amused; this supposed ferocious man killer was in my home, eating cookies out of my hand and smiling at me. I then pulled on my boots, threw on my coat and grabbed the bucket by the door to go and milk the cows and tend to my small garden. It had snowed a bit since yesterday, but luckily not enough to cover the crops. As I got to the fence, I looked back and saw Jeffrey watching me from the window. I wondered why he hadn't followed me outside; was he like some of the other monsters, and burned in the sunlight? I headed into the farmhouse and grabbed some hay and feed to fill the trough with. Soon after, I heard a faint "pop" and turn to see that Jeffrey had teleported inside the farmhouse with me. I smiled once more as he watched me work, and after a while I had finally fed and milked all the cows. I brought the bucket inside the farmhouse and looked over to my friend, who was now playing with just about anything he could find; shears, hoes, various boxes and sacks of feed, even the flowerpot by the window fascinated him.

I put the bucket of milk up on the bench and watched him, thinking to myself. I was still wondering just what exactly he is, and then I remembered something - Of course! My old friend Gryffin was the librarian's apprentice in Castle Town, and he was always studying the monsters of the world. Maybe he could give me some insight on Jeffrey. But how do I manage to get Jeffrey into town? I mean, he's pitch black, skinny as a rail, and nearly twice my height. I suddenly get the brightest idea I have ever had in a while.

I flew over to the shelf, grabbed the shears and rummage through the stacks of supplies until I find a few empty sacks. I toss them onto the bench and grab some rope and thread; I had startled Jeffrey with my sudden movements, but he watched curiously. I quickly got to work cutting the sacks open and laying them flat on the bench, then began sewing them together. After a few minutes, I held it up triumphantly. Jeffrey looked me, then at the cloth I held, then back to me again. His head tilted to one side.

"Come on, Jeffrey," I said with a grin, "we're going on a little adventure!"


	3. Old Friends

**A/N: Thank you everyone for being so patient with this chapter! I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues and I had rewritten this chapter countless times trying to get it right. I'll hopefully be cranking out more chapters in the next few weeks! Thanks again for taking the time to read :)**

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"Oh don't make faces at me, you look fine" I told my unhappy friend, who was grumbling and tugging at his makeshift cloak. I had to stand on a chair to secure the rope around his neck that keeps the hood in place.

"Ok, now here's the plan, so I need you to listen to me, ok?" I said in a stern but gentle voice. "We have to walk to town; it's a few miles south of here. It we pace ourselves, we can get there by sunset. When we get there, stay close to me and do not take the hood off until I tell you it's safe. Understand?" Jeffrey nodded. "Good, now stay here while I go get the supplies."

After a few minutes, I finally had everything we needed packed: food, spare clothes, a canteen of water, and what little money I had. I secured my axe to my belt and slung my quiver over my shoulder, grabbed my bow, and headed out. I sighed heavily and headed back to the farmhouse to collect my friend. I saddled up my finest cow with the supplies, tied a lead to him and headed out with Jeffrey close behind me. I couldn't believe, after all these years, I was finally going back to Castle Town; I wondered if any of my old friends were still there. As far as I knew, the only thing that had changed was my village…

I shrugged off the memories and focused on the trip ahead of us. Jeffrey seemed fascinated by everything around him, constantly teleporting in front of us to inspect a snowdrift or a bush or whatever he found interesting. I looked back, my tower fading into the horizon, and suddenly worried about our footprints. No one would suspect Jeffrey's, for they were becoming more and more sporadic as we moved. But mine and the cow's were quite obvious in the snow. I prayed for a windstorm or more snow to cover the trail, but then I remembered that the snow stops once we cross the mountain pass about a mile up ahead.

After an hour or so, we had finally made it through the cavern that took us out of the tundra. I was slightly relieved to see that it hadn't snowed on this side of the mountain, and enjoyed the sight of grass for the first time in a few years. Jeffrey seemed intrigued as well, as he quickly teleported all over the place inspecting various trees and plants, scaring a few wild chickens in the process. I laughed at his antics and decided this was as good a spot as any to rest for a while. I fed and watered the cow and ate while Jeffrey explored. He soon returned to me with a small red flower in his hand, and offered it to me.

"Oh, for me?" I asked, flattered. He nodded and placed it in my hand. "That's so sweet, thank you!"As I put the flower behind my ear, I couldn't help but smile. That afternoon, I felt a lot happier than I have in a long time. After we relaxed for a while, we continued on. It wasn't long before I could see the castle walls in the distance. I began to get a bit anxious, and my mind raced with various worries and what-ifs. Jeffrey must have saw my worried expression and purred, nudging me. I snapped out of it and looked up at him, smiling gently.

"I'm ok, it's just… I haven't been here, been home, in a very long time," I said. Jeffrey tilted his head to the side and then looked towards the walls, obviously thinking. "I used to live here, many years ago. But there was… An incident, I couldn't stay so I left. But none of that matters right now, we need to get you to the library. I hope I still remember where it is…"

We finally made it through the gates, and I flipped my hood up over my head to hide my face. I glanced back at Jeffrey and made sure he had his on, and we continued on into the marketplace. The wide streets were filled with people trading and selling various wares, shouting and pushing past each other. I could feel the people staring, and my face burned a little; I was always easily embarrassed and shy. Jeffrey was good about keeping his hood on, but he soon wandered a bit from my side. I had to drag him away from a weapons salesman after the shiny sword on display caught his eye. I led him through the market, trying to ignore the looks we were both getting and reminding myself how much worse it would be if my friend wasn't concealed. Once we reached the castle courtyard, I relaxed a bit. There was almost nobody around, and so I took off my hood and had a look around. The castle looked just the same as I remembered it, which gave me an eerie feeling that I couldn't describe. I kind of felt like I shouldn't be here…

My thoughts were interrupted when I practically walked into a sign. We had finally made it to the library! After I tied the cow to a post outside, I hesitantly approached the giant oak doors, Jeffrey close behind me. I pushed them open and peered inside, not knowing what to expect.

"Hello?" I called out, quietly closing the heavy door behind me. A very old looking man looked over at me from the desk, his glasses sliding down his nose. It was Mr. Delgatto; I could never forget those glasses.

"Yes, can I – Do I know you from somewhere?" Mr. Delgatto stared hard at me, trying to figure out who I was. Then his eyes lit up. "Jesska, my dear, is that you?! My heavens, it's been so long! Where have you been? We all thought something had happened to you!" He hugged me and led me into the study. "Come; let me get you someplace warm. Oh, Gryffin will be so excited to see you again!" And with that, he quickly shuffled out of the room to fetch his apprentice.

A few seconds later, a boy no older than fifteen came bursting into the room. He had a mess of golden hair and wore glasses similar to Mr. Delgatto's. He grinned and hugged me with such a force that I almost fell over.

"Jess! I thought you died! I'm so happy to see you again!" I laughed and ruffled his hair, and straightened up. "I've been living out in the Wastelands all this time," I said. I chose my words carefully as not to frighten my friend. "I came here because I have something for you to look at". I led him over to Jeffrey, who peered down at him. He was still concealed under the cloak, but Gryffin saw his eyes. He backed up nervously. "Don't be afraid; I found this creature in my house and it's surprisingly docile. Could you possibly identify his species for me?" I asked, and stood on the chair to undo the rope around the cloak. I then threw it off of his shoulders and Jeffrey stared down at Gryffin, who was now petrified.

"Enderman!" He screamed, and dove under the table. I kneeled down by his face and dragged him out with surprising ease. He was always kind of scrawny. I pushed him towards Jeffrey and Gryffin didn't move. His face turned pale and I hoped that Jeffrey would behave. Jeffrey loomed over Gryffin, who threw his arms up over his head and trembled. Jeffrey stared at him for a bit, then backed up. I then took Gryffin aside.

"See look, he's friendly! He wouldn't hurt a hair on your head," I said. Gryffin seemed a bit calmer, but we both jumped when we heard a loud thud. I turned to see that Jeffrey had knocked a few books off the shelf while trying to grab one he found interesting. He stared down at the books, then to Gryffin. He picked up the books and dropped them in Gryffin's arms, who looked at Jeffrey with confusion.

"This…makes no sense," Gryffin said to me as he placed the books on the table. "He's an Enderman, alright, I can tell you that much, but he doesn't act like one at all… By all accounts, he should have killed us both by now!" He exclaimed, scratching his head. I was aware that these creatures were killers, but he was right, Jeffrey was… different.

Gryffin approached him cautiously. I sat on the table and watched as Gryffin slowly reached out a hand and touched Jeffrey's arm. Jeffrey flinched and drew back, but after a second, he poked Gryffin back. These two were mutually curious about each other, and all I could do was watch as they began a poke war. Gryffin's laughter was infectious and I couldn't help but grin as I watched the silly exchange. I checked the clock; it was half past midnight now, and decided we might as well stay in this back room until we can figure out what to do with Jeffrey in the morning.


	4. New Day, New Adventure

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for taking forever with this chapter, but I hope you enjoy!**

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The library was silent aside from the sound of the birds just outside the open window. I stretched and rolled over, only to fall onto the floor. I had forgotten that I fell asleep on the table last night…

I sat up and rubbed my head; there was a small bump, but it wasn't serious. I stood and brushed myself off and was going to wake Gryffin, who was sleeping in a pile of blankets in the corner, when I heard something shatter in the other room. I poked my head out the door to see what all the commotion was about.

The library was a disaster area. Jeffrey had managed to knock over almost all of the shelves, break a few flowerpots, and tear pages from a few books. I staggered into the room and frantically looked for Jeffrey, but he wasn't in the room. I quickly started standing the shelves upright and tried desperately to clean up the mess when I heard Gryffin enter the room.

I heard a small squeak of terror escape his throat. "Help me fix this, come on!" I whispered, praying that Mr. Delgatto wasn't planning on returning to this wing anytime soon. Gryffin sorted the books and placed them back on their shelves while I straightened the room up and cleaned up the mess from the flowerpots. I then heard a familiar "pop", and looked up to see Jeffrey standing before me.

"What did you do?!" I hissed, pointing to the mess. "Look at the mess you've made! I thought I told you not to touch anything! Bad Jeffrey!" He seemed a little taken aback by my tone, and lowered his head in shame. He made a sad little noise, and teleported away. I immediately regretted scolding him so harshly. He was like a young child, or a puppy – he didn't know any better. I sighed heavily and continued cleaning, hoping he would return soon.

After about an hour, we had finally managed to put everything back the way it was. Gryffin had spread out all the torn pages on a table and was searching through the shelves for the books they belonged to. I was putting back the ones he had fixed when he called me over.

"Here, look! This is just the book I wanted to show you!" Gryffin smiled and handed me a dusty old text. It was massive, and the cover was a faded shade of purple. I lugged it over to the table and set it down, and blew the dust from it. The title read, "Myths, Beasts, and Lore". I opened it up and began skimming the pages, looking for something, anything, on Jeffrey. I then felt a presence behind me, and spun around to see Jeffrey was standing there, with a handful of flowers. He handed them to me shyly.

"Oh Jeffrey, thank you, and I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to sound so mean," I said gently, "It's ok now, we fixed the library up, and we even found what we were looking for." I showed him the book, and he reached over me and picked it up. He stared at it for a few seconds, then put it back on the table. I went and put the flowers in a nearby flowerpot. When I returned, Jeffrey was flipping the pages of the book, mesmerized by the illustrations of the different monsters. But when he flipped to the chapter about Endermen, he froze and stared at the picture.

"'Endermen'," Gryffin read from the page, "'terrifying shadow creatures that dwell in the space between spaces. They stand 10-12 feet tall, with coal-black skin and piercing purple eyes. Little is known about these monsters, but they often come to the overworld at night, and are extremely dangerous. Do not engage these creatures, and do not make eye contact.' Huh. 'The space between spaces'… So does that mean they live in some kind of void, or maybe an alternate dimension?" Gryffin mused. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and continued reading the passage to himself. I glanced up at Jeffrey, who was leaning over me, staring at the illustration on the page. He looked perplexed, like he was trying hard to remember something long forgotten. There was suddenly a sound of loud footsteps echoing from the hall, and we all nearly jumped out of our skin. Jeffrey panicked and teleported away, and Gryffin took the book and dashed down the aisle to put it back.

Mr. Delgatto came in the room with a large bag, and set it down on the table. "I thought you kids might like some breakfast; I was just down at the market, and I suggest you go down there yourselves today. There are vendors from faraway places selling all kinds of wonderful things!" He smiled and I peeked inside the bag: a loaf of bread, some apples, and what looked like two big slabs of cake. I grinned and thanked him, and he went out to the main lobby of the library again.

It felt like ages since I last ate; I grabbed one of the apples and tossed it to Gryffin, and pulled out the rest of the foodstuffs. As we ate, we began to plan what we were going to do that day. Jeffrey sat next to me and munched on half of the cake slice I had given him to keep him occupied.

"I would love to study him some more, I've been working on my field journal for quite some time, but I've never come across a specimen like Jeffrey before," Gryffin said between bites. "Maybe if you stuck around for a bit longer?" I knew what he was getting at, and I sighed heavily. "I would love to, but I honestly can't. I have to get back to my… house." Gryffin stared down at his apple, then up at me, suddenly very excited. "I know! How about I come with you?"

I stared at him, my mouth a bit agape. What would he even think of my ramshackle tower I called a home? I mean, sure, I was proud of it, I had built it myself, after all; but it's far from what he was used to. "Well… I don't know if you-"I started, but Gryffin quickly cut me off. "I promise I won't complain about anything, I'll be good! Pleeease?" He begged, leaning over the table and giving me the puppy face. I sighed heavily and looked up at him again. "Alright, alright. I guess you can-"

"HOORAY! Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! This is gonna be AWESOME!" Gryffin practically flew out of his chair and ran to his room on the second floor to pack. I laughed at his eagerness; he definitely hadn't changed a bit. Jeffrey stared after him, then looked at me, head cocked to the side.

After a few hours of explaining to Mr. Delgatto about his "fieldwork adventure", Gryffin and I headed out the door with Jeffrey, who was grumbling unhappily ever since I had put the cloak back on him. I untied my cow and took her down to the market to be sold, and used the money I received to buy a backpack and a new journal for Gryffin, who squealed in excitement. We then headed to the market square, which was strangely quiet, save for a few people milling about the castle entrance and a boy sitting on the edge of the fountain. He looked over at me and smiled, and I felt my face flush a bit.

"You aren't from around here, are you?" He called out to me, hopping off the fountain ledge and walking over to me. "You look a bit lost. You travelers?" He asked, but I was too nervous to reply. I looked up and nodded, then my eyes shot back down to the ground again. Why, oh why did I have to be so shy?

"The name's Milo. And you are, Miss?" He extended his hand, and I hesitated for a moment. I then smiled and shook it. "I'm Jesska, and this is Gryffin and Jeffrey, my, uh, brothers. We're…just passing through," I said, hoping he would believe me. He seemed to, and nodded. "If you ever need anything, just give me a shout, Miss Jesska," He said, and hopped back onto the fountain ledge. I smiled, and Gryffin grabbed my wrist and tugged me along. Milo waved as we headed down the road that took us outside the city walls, unaware that we were being followed.


	5. Ambush

We were barely halfway to the cavern pass before it began to get dark. I could have made it home by now had I been traveling alone, but Gryffin wasn't used to this much walking, so we set up camp under a nearby tree.

"So where exactly have you been living?" Gryffin asked me as I attempted to start the campfire. "The tundra seems like a terrible place to live… how can you stand the weather?" My flint and steel finally created a big enough spark to light the tinder and I carefully fanned it with my hand.

"Well, I'm a cold-weather kind of person," I said bluntly. The fire had begun to gain momentum and I added a bit more tinder to the flames. "Plus, you get used to it after a while." I handed Gryffin the rest of the tinder and went to cut up some of the firewood.

I pulled my axe from my belt and began to make quick work of the logs. I began to think about what our plan was for the long run. I wasn't sure if Gryffin could handle the temperatures, or even if Jeffrey could, either. When I had touched his skin before, I noticed that there wasn't much heat coming from him; was he possibly cold-blooded, like a reptile? What kind of problems would this weather even pose for an Enderman?

A sudden rustling of the nearby bushes brought me back to reality. I looked over to the fire; Gryffin was gone. I put down my axe and squinted at the bushes, trying to make out the figure behind them. Suddenly, a large hand covered my mouth and pulled me backwards behind the tree. I kicked and struggled, but whoever held my arm behind my back was very strong and knew exactly what they were doing.

"Good evening, sweetheart," A gruff voice whispered behind me. "I hope you don't mind, but my fellas and I are just gonna take what you got and be on our merry way." He let go of my arm and pushed me to my knees. I heard him unsheath a rather large knife and chuckle. "And you're not about to make a fuss about it."

I flinched, and suddenly I was knocked sideways. Someone had tackled my attacker and was now struggling with him in the dirt. I shakily scrambled to my feet and spun around; it was Milo. He was on top of the other man, both struggling for control, the knife having been tossed a few yards away. I made a mad dash for it, but the man saw me run and kicked Milo in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. I got to the knife before him, but the man grabbed my wrist. I kicked him in the shin and blindly slashed at him with the knife. I must have connected with him, for he shrieked and stumbled backwards, holding his face. Milo got to his feet and rushed over, took the knife from my hands and quickly pinned the man up against the tree by his neck.

"Leave this place, now, before I gut you like an animal," Milo hissed. The man broke free of his grasp and rushed off, calling to the other men in the bushes as he ran. The three then ran back towards the castle and disappeared. After a minute or two, Gryffin emerged from the bushes with a few cuts on his face and a black eye. Jeffrey was nowhere to be found.

I rushed towards Gryffin and wiped the dirt from his face. "Are you alright?" I asked softly, still unsure if the men were gone. He nodded, and got to his feet. I searched the bushes and found his glasses; I cleaned them off and handed them back to him. Milo limped over to us with a cocky grin on his face.

"It's a good thing I followed you too, eh, Miss?" He said. I glared at him, confused and irritated.

"Why did you follow us in the first place?!"

"Well, when you left, I noticed those goons watching you from behind one of the buildings. Then they started after you, and as soon as I saw that knife that one guy had on him, I knew you were in trouble, so I went after you," he said. I was stunned; if he hadn't noticed that, we would be dead. The boy smiled. "Although, after seeing what you did to that guy's face, I'm not so sure you would've needed me much after all!"

I smiled a bit. It was very dark now, for the fire had gone out. Milo pulled a flint and steel from his pockets and in no time, we had a roaring fire. We could hear the distant moans of a pack of zombies and other monsters in the distance, so Gryffin and I hastily set up our tent. Milo was eager to help, but I assured him we could handle it. He shrugged and sat against the tree.

Once we were sure the tent was sturdy, Gryffin got to work rolling out our mats while I sat across from Milo by the fire. "So," he asked casually, "where's your Enderman?"

I froze up. How did he know? "Wh-what?" I managed to stammer, and he grinned.

"Well, it's kinda obvious. No human can possibly be that tall. Also, the eyes. I could see 'em."

I fidgeted nervously, unsure of what to say. He must have seen how uncomfortable I was and continued, "I'm not gonna tell anyone, I promise. But, one question: why are you traveling with an Enderman, of all things?" He looked sincerely curious, so I sighed and told him the whole story of how Jeffrey and I crossed paths that fateful night in my home.

Milo seemed like a trustworthy person; he was genuinely interested in Jeffrey, and listened intently to every detail. When I had finished, he nodded and stared into the fire. "Interesting," he said, picking up a stick and poking at the coals. I threw another log onto the fire. "I wonder if something happened to him to make him like that, or maybe he was born with it," Milo said quietly. "I mean, if Endermen are even 'born'. I wonder how they come to be? Do they just… spawn?"

And at that moment, I heard a familiar mumbling whisper and turned to see Jeffrey standing a few feet away, his cloak a little tattered. I got up quickly and examined the damage, and noticed that there was a rather large, dark red stain on the cloak. Jeffrey bent down for me so I could untie the rope and I removed the garment, examining the stain and damage closely.

"Jeffrey, this isn't… blood, is it?" I asked him, concerned. He nodded; I noticed he had similar stains on his hands. "Did one of those guys attack you?" He nodded once more. Milo came over to me and examined the damage.

"Yep, that's blood, alright. But I don't think it's his." Milo handed me back the tattered cloak. "It looks like one of those guys ambushed him, and your pal Jeffrey gave him quite a beating," He said. I looked up at Jeffrey and gingerly took his hands; they were stained with blood as well. I looked him over, and he didn't look injured. Jeffrey saw the concern in my eyes and nudged me, purring quietly, as if to reassure me that he was alright. Milo smiled. "He's really taken a liking to you, hasn't he? It's like he thinks you're his mommy or something!" he laughed. Jeffrey glared at him and growled; Milo backed up and put his hands up as a gesture of peace.

"Jeffrey, no, Milo is a friend," I said softly. Jeffrey immediately stopped growling and sat on the ground. Milo approached me cautiously, afraid of threatening Jeffrey by accident a second time.

"Say, uh… Jesska, was it? Well, I've really got nowhere better to go, and I'd hate to see you get attacked like that again, so maybe… I could escort you to wherever it is you're going?"

I was flattered by his offer, and looked over to the tent to see Gryffin poking his head out. "Gryffin, what do you think?"

Gryffin nodded vigorously. "I think he'd be the best bodyguard this side of the kingdom!" He said enthusiastically.

I smiled and looked back at Milo, who smiled sheepishly back. "I guess you can come with us, then," I said, and he grinned ear to ear.

"I won't let you down, milady, I promise!" He said cheerfully with a bow, and he sat down by the fire again. Jeffrey joined him, watching curiously as Milo pulled out a small knife and a stick and began to whittle. I went inside the tent and rolled out our extra mat for our new bodyguard.


End file.
